This invention relates generally to shelves and, more particularly, to extendible shelves for use in refrigerators.
One type of extendible or “slide-out” refrigerator shelf assembly includes slide mechanisms and latch springs that engage a portion of a shelf when the shelf is in an extended position. The latch springs restrict movement of the shelf beyond a predetermined position and releasably hold the shelf in an extended position. See, for example, U. S. Pat. No. 5,340,209.
Removal of slide out refrigerator shelves, however, is problematic because the slide mechanisms for the shelves must support the shelf in a fully or partially extended position and thus must securely couple the shelf to shelf supports. Consequently, removal or separation of the shelf from the supports is intricate and often awkward. Some removable slide-out shelves require extension of the shelf substantially beyond a normal fully extended position to release the shelf from the shelf supports. However, consumer confidence may decrease if the shelf becomes unbalanced.